Sick Little Bear

Another ear infection.

Both ears again.

Sleepless nights.

Antibiotics and Infant Advil.

It is the fourth time in a year.

The first one was just about this time last year.

I know it could be a lot worse.

Lots of kids get ear infections much more often.

Lots of kids are much more affected but the pain and discomfort.

Lots of kids are sick with a lot more serious things.

But this is my Little Bear.

My baby boy.

I can't help but feel bad every time he gets sick.

I can't help but wonder if there isn't something I can do to prevent this.

Did I do something to make him more prone to ear infections?

Does he get them because I only nursed him until he was eight months?

Is it hereditary? (Two of his aunts had chronic ear infections as young children.)

And I can't even be with him when he's sick.

I need to be at work.

When I really should be at home with my Little Bear.

I am taking care of other people's children.

When I should be taking care of my own child.

It doesn't bother him to stay with his Aunties or Grandma.

But it bothers me.  

I am thankful that we have them to look after him when he can't be at daycare.

But I wish we didn't have to call on them every time he gets sick.

I want to be a mom who takes care of my own sick Little Bear.

I hope he knows that I want to be with him.

I hope he knows that I want to be the one who cuddles him when his ears hurt.

I hope he knows how much I love him.

Sick Boy Update

Grandma took the sick little man to the clinic yesterday to see what was behind the pesky fever that just wasn't going away and it turns out that it's a double ear infection.  I can't believe how good he is when he has an ear infection.  I have only ever (that I can remember) had one ear infection and it was so incredibly painful that I could hardly stand it.  I was such a baby about it.  But for the most part, Liam just keeps going as if nothing was wrong.  And just the same as the last time (back in November) it is in both ears.  What a little trooper I have!

So, it is antibiotics (biaxin) twice a day for the next ten days for my little guy, but again, I am lucky, because he takes medicine very easily.  (And I know first hand from my years of working in daycare how difficult it can be to get some kids to take their medication.)

I took today off work to stay home with Liam, not really because he needed me, he has been perfectly happy spending time with Grandma and Aunty, but because I felt guilty leaving him when he's sick.  He was in a wonderful mood, full of energy and eager to play all day.  I am glad that we had some good quality time together!

For Mother's Day, I got . . .

A little boy with a fever of 102 F.  But the day wasn't all bad.  Henry got up with Liam, so that I could sleep in.  We went ou for lunch and all had a nap in the afternoon.  It wasn't until after nap time that i had a sick, crabby baby in my arms.  But I must say that we are very lucky with this little man.  Even when he is sick, which isn't very often, he's usually in a pretty good mood.  As soon as I got a dose of infant tylenol and a bottle of milk into him, he was playing like there was nothing wrong!  We even had a little photo shoot!

Unfortunately, this morning, the fever was up to 103 F and my little bear spent the day with Grandma and Aunty Margaret and that's where he'll be again tomorrow.  Although I know that he is well cared for when he's with that, I know that he has lots of fun visiting with them (and his furry friends that live there) and he absolutely adores Grandma and Aunty, the mommy guilt is hitting me pretty bad today.  I wish that I was the one with him when he was sick so that I could cuddle him and make him feel better.  I know that I should be grateful that I have someone who can look after him easily on days like this, and I am, but I still feel like I should be there with my baby, not taking care of other peoples' kids.  I hope that he knows that I would be with him if I could.

Sick baby update . . .

Well, Tuesday, Liam had a right fine time with Grandma, Aunty Margaret and Aunty Regan, and his Grandma's house best friend, Kelly (Aunty Margaret's cocker spaniel). He didn't have a fever all day, so we thought that we were good to go. Off to daycare went my happy little bear. But things went down hill at lunch time on Thursday. First he vomited up all his lunch, which wasn't a huge concern to me as he has been coughing and vomiting the odd time since he's had this cold, but then they discovered that he had a fever . . . 101.4 F. And that meant that he needed to be sent home.

The ironic thing was that Thursday afternoon was the first time since my promotion that I was covering in the office. And the first thing that I had to do was send my own kid home with a fever! After numerous phone calls between Dad, Grandma and myself, we finally came up with a plan! (What made everything even more difficult to figure out was the fact that Aunty Margaret was in the hospital recovering from an emergency appendectomy. Why is it that everything has to happen at the same time?) I rushed out on my lunch break and got some baby tylenol for my poor little fever boy . . . and it's a good thing that I did, by the time I got back with it, his fever was 102.2 F.

Friday, Liam spent the day with Grandma. Although he was in a great mood most of the day, the fever never really went away. Baby tylenol would keep it down, but when ever it wore off, the fever went right back up. But, with everything else going on, there was just no way to get him to the doctor, Daddy had been off sick two days this week and couldn't take anymore time and we were insanely busy at work so there was no way I could leave either.

So, this morning we got up and headed off to the walk-in clinic. Thankfully we got there just after it opened and there was only one person ahead of us! The Dr was very nice and efficient. And my poor little bear has a sinus infection. :( Ten days of amoxicillin and my baby should be as good as new!

I have to say I can't believe what a little trooper he is . . . through all of this, he has been pretty much his usual happy self. I know what sinus infections are like. I am NOT happy or even tolerable when I have one! I am downright miserable! I have a pretty incredible little boy!

Sick baby

My little bear is sick. He's had a runny nose for about a week and a half, a cough for a few days and finally today, he hardly ate anything and has a fever. :( Now, I am not complaining, I know first hand how much kids can get sick when they are in daycare and know that many babies get sick within their first week or two of daycare because their little immune systems are just about non-existent (Liam has made it just over a month) but I feel bad for my poor little guy. However, aside from the lack of appetite, (which was better for Mommy at supper time than it was at daycare today) he doesn't seem to be too bothered by anything. He is his usual happy self . . . until you wipe his nose, then he lets you know that you are pissing him off royally and then goes right back to being happy!

Tomorrow, because of the fever, he can't go to daycare. And I have to go to work, so does Dad. So, we are packing little bear up and taking him to spend the day with Grandma and Aunty Margaret. I know that he will be fine with them and that they will take good care of him, but I feel bad that I can't be with him when he isn't feeling well. I know that I don't have a choice, there is absolutely no way that I can get the day off work, but I can't help but feel like I am letting him down and that I am a bad mommy. I know that I'm not, I know that he will probably have a fun day at Grandma's house, but it doesn't change the fact that I feel like a horrible mom. :(